


change the conditions of the test

by Wildehack (Tyleet)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Fusion, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-20
Updated: 2014-10-20
Packaged: 2018-02-21 21:29:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2483075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyleet/pseuds/Wildehack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I have to believe there’s always a solution,” he tries explaining to Riley. “Otherwise how the hell am I supposed to do my job?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	change the conditions of the test

Sam is a third year cadet, command track, when he fails the Kobayashi Maru. He doesn’t try to take it again—Riley talks him out of that one—but he also doesn’t really learn the lesson. 

“I have to believe there’s always a solution,” he tries explaining to Riley, four drinks into their post-exams night out. “Otherwise how the hell am I supposed to do my job? What are they trying to teach us with this crap? How to give up under pressure?” 

“Maybe that you’re only mortal,” Riley suggests, raising his eyebrows. “Even you can’t save everyone.” 

“Doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try,” Sam tells him, because it’s true.

The next day there’s a disciplinary hearing, mandatory attendance. Some cadet in the sciences tried to cheat the test—or she did, but failed spectacularly at getting away with it. Sam’s sorry she got caught, a surge of fellow feeling in his chest as soon as he sees the look on her face, determined and frustrated. He’s just making a note to talk to this girl sometime if she isn’t kicked out when Admiral Pierce interrupts the hearing to inform them that they’ve received a distress call from Asgard. 

Sam’s assigned to the newly minted flagship in what might honestly have been a clerical error, not that he’s complaining. He’s wanted to work with Captain Rhodes since he enlisted. 

He’s not on the bridge when it happens, but everyone hears about how Cadet Foster smuggled herself aboard the ship and went straight to Captain Rhodes and his Aesir first officer with her calculations, how Rhodes went over to the enemy ship, how Commander Odinson barely managed to beam down to the planet in time to save his mother, although not his father. How the mad Jotunn known as Loki created a black hole at the center of Asgard, how a strange old woman managed to beam aboard the ship during warp, how Foster and Odinson and Chief Engineer Stark managed to save Earth. 

Only Sam’s not paying super close attention to any of that at the time. He’s on Deck Six when they take that first hit from the Narada and he’s on a line but Riley’s not. His best friend gets sucked out into space. It’s like he’s just there to watch. 

After it’s all over, Sam gets out, despite the earnest lecture the new Officer Foster gives him on the importance of service, especially now. Goes back to his apartment in San Francisco, the one he shared with Riley. He takes a deep breath; tries to start again.

 

*

 

He hears about Captain Rogers on the news, and barely believes it despite Starfleet’s confirmation. Foster’s ship, on her brand new five year mission, found the U.S.S. America floating in space.

Captain Rogers was a genetically engineered superhuman from the 21st century, the former United States of America’s first and last great mission to the stars. The century’s greatest success and greatest failure. His mission went wrong, his teammates put him in a cryo-chamber and tried to do the same for themselves, only the majority of the chambers malfunctioned. Captain Rogers slept alone on the most famous ghost ship in history for over two hundred years before Jane Foster found him on her first trip out of the solar system. 

Sam sees the man on the news, barely twenty-five years old, handsome and exhausted. Rip Van Winkle. When asked what his plans for the 23rd century were, Rogers said he didn’t know. “Guess I’ll figure that out,” he added with a bad attempt at a smile.

* 

Sam runs the five miles around the Oval every morning, whenever he can. 

"On your left," a man calls out, and passes him. 

* 

Sam falls in love with said long-dead genetically engineered superhuman while on the run from Section 31, because of course he does. 

“I’m sorry for bringing this to your door,” Steve says, all blue eyes and sincerity. “You got out for a reason.” 

Sam shrugs, and finds he means it. “The way I see it, Captain Rogers at my door is good enough reason to get back in.” 

Steve doesn’t kiss him until after they’ve dragged Section 31 into the open and blown up a prototype Class 6 starship that took literal years to build and blasted Admiral Pierce’s involvement all over the quadrant. But when he does—it’s soft and hesitant, not a victor’s kiss at all.

* 

“Do you believe in no-win scenarios?” Sam asks, late at night, Steve almost asleep next to him. There’s a long silence, and Sam reconciles himself to never getting an answer. 

“Of course,” Steve says finally, and abruptly Sam remembers he isn’t talking to Captain Rogers of the USS America—it’s just Steve, and Steve’s the guy who went down with his ship. Or tried to. Sam runs a hand down Steve’s side in apology, and Steve leans into his touch. “Do you?” Steve asks. 

Sam thinks about Riley, how he hadn’t even had time to turn around, much less save himself. He thinks about Steve, sailing his ancient ship on a suicide mission for the good of the many, and he thinks about the Winter Soldier, Section 31’s pet monster, kept on ice for two hundred years. But here he is, and here they are. “Not really,” Sam says gently. “Which is why I’ve been thinking—I’m gonna re-enlist. If they’ll take me.” 

“They’ll take you,” Steve replies, but he frowns. “You sure about this?” 

“I want to fly again,” Sam says, because it’s true. “Figure I’d see how it goes.” 

“A gamble,” Steve says. 

“Something like that,” Sam agrees. “But it feels right.” He levers himself up on one elbow. “What feels right to you?” 

Steve gives him an uneven smile. “This feels pretty good so far,” he says. 

* 

Sam goes to the stars, like he was always meant to do. Steve comes to see him off, kisses him goodbye right there on the telepad. “Be seeing you,” Steve says, and Sam trusts him, grins back until he’s washed away in a beam of gold light. 

Foster sees him over to the navigator’s chair herself. “How’s that feel, Lieutenant?” she asks, and he can see Odinson and Lewis turning expectantly to catch his reaction. Sam runs his hands briefly over the controls, and smiles back at her. 

“Pretty damn good,” he says. 

“That’s what I like to hear,” she replies, and settles into the captain’s chair. “Take us out.” 

Sam does.


End file.
